Finding a Home
by Raisin Cookies
Summary: Danny trys to cope after learning of a 17 year old Messer family secret and Flack learns his younger brother is in love with that secret. Some chapters rated M. I own nothing. D/L & Eventually F/OC
1. Chapter 1

Her head was moulded into the rough, white hospital pillow. How many others had used the same stiff foam pillow to absorb their own hot salty tears? The nurse pulled the pale blue woollen blanket up over her chest and gently laid her arms at her sides. Jenna watched with sleepy eyes as she moved towards the door and opened it, Danny's figure appeared in the doorway and Jenna used what little strength was left in her body to turn her head to the side so she wouldn't have to face him. She heard his footsteps on the linoleum as he approached her bedside, she felt his hands gently brushing strands of her hair from her face and wiping away her tears.

Liar! She wanted to scream at him. Her eyelids grew heavier and she tried her best to fight the sleep. She was scared of what would happen when the darkness took over. Would he hurt her? Would he take her back? Would he be angry that she tried to run at the first decent opportunity? Would he give her to the others as a way of punishing her?

She winced at the thought of what they would do to her. Panicked thoughts were rushing through her mind causing more tears to dribble from the corners of her eyes. He began to stroke her hair, it was almost soothing. She realised he was talking to her. His voice low and gentle, it was hypnotic. What has he saying?

He said he was sorry.

Sorry for what he had done, or sorry for what he was about to do? She thought.

He said to go to sleep and when she woke he would explain everything.

Explain what? She wanted to ask. She opened her mouth but her fatigue prevented the words from forming.

The world blurred and slowly became smaller until it was nothing but darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Jenna woke sleepily from her drug-induced sleep and her eyes slowly adjusted to the stark whiteness of the room. There was a woman standing by the window humming softly to herself as she carefully arranged some daffodils in a glass jug. Picking up the jug she turned around, noticing Jenna was now awake she smiled kindly and walked towards her placing the flowers on the bedside cabinet.

'How are you feeling?' She asked.

Jenna shrugged and eyed the woman carefully.

'I'm Detective Munro,' she said. 'Do you remember why you're here?'

'Yeah,' she answered timidly. She paused, 'Is he coming back?' Her voice wobbled as she asked the question.

'Who?'

'Danny. Will he come back?'

'Do you want to see him?'

She shook her head violently and sat up in her bed. 'He's not who you think he is. He told the nurse he was a cop but he's not. He was here with Sonny. Please don't let them come back. I don't want to go back with them. Please.'

Lindsay's kind smile had faded and was now replaced with a look of sadness and pity at the young girl who sat sobbing in front of her. She sighed. She knew Danny was desperate to see Jenna and explain.

'Jenna, things have happened, things you don't understand yet. Danny would really like to see you. I know you don't believe me but he is a good man'. Her voice trailed off as she saw panic in Jenna's eyes.

'Are you one of them? You're one of them aren't you? You'll take me back too. Danny said he was a cop and now you're saying it as well.' As she spoke Jenna's voice became increasingly louder and more panicked.

'No Jenna, please just listen…'

'GET OUT! LEAVE! JUST GET AWAY FROM ME!' By now she was hysterical, shaking and crying.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and look round as Dr Evans entered the room with nurse Marie following behind him. He was carrying a syringe. She backed up to the top of the bed.

'No please, I'll be good. I promise, please I just don't want to go with them. Please I don't want to go to sleep again. I'll be quiet.'

'Its ok Jenna, you're safe.' Dr Evans said as he rubbed her arm reassuringly. 'This won't send you to sleep it'll just relax you. I need to you calm down.'

Jenna struggled slightly but Dr Evans was much stronger than she was. She watched as the needle pierce her flesh and clear liquid was pushed into her arm. Her body was sensitive from all that she had endured in the past few days and the prick of the needle felt torturous.

Her eyes followed the needle as though she was completely captivated by it. She was starting to calm as the liquid moved its way around her body. Her pulse slowed and her breathing started to even out and become less frantic. Dr Evans adjusted her on the bed so that she was once again lying down and covered her with the blanket. He listened to her chest and checked her pupils, she watched him the whole time. When he had finished his exam he smiled kindly and walked to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Dr Evans and Detective Munro had vacated the room leaving Jenna alone with Marie.

'You're being a very silly little girl,' she scolded her has she bustled around straightening the room. 'Those people have been at your bedside every hour of every day since you were brought in. The least you could do is thank them. I tell you my girl if you were one of mine I wouldn't hesitate to give you slap.'

Jenna glared at her through narrowed eyes. Stupid bitch doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. Marie handed her a tissue and she roughly wiped the tears from her face and blow her nose.

She could hear talking in the corridor outside her room but couldn't distinguish the voices or clearly hear what they were saying. Marie adjusted her bed so that she could sit up and pulled a table on wheels up close to her.

'Now young lady, we're going to try and have something to eat, aren't we?' She said as a tray of hospital food was placed in front of her.

'I'm not hungry,' Jenna whispered.

'Nonsense, you haven't eaten solids for days. Look at you, you're all skin and bone. Now, what do you want to try first? We're got fruit, eggs, pancakes…'

'I said I'm not hungry'. Jenna snapped as her arm shot out and knocked the tray to the floor.

In the hallway Dr Evans had been updating Danny, Lindsay and Flack on Jenna's current condition when they heard Jenna's raised voice followed by a clatter. Danny sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his chest.

'Look Doc, I hear what you're saying and yeah if I go in there you're right it'll probably upset her, but at the end of the day she needs to hear the truth. We all know that until she fully understands everything nothing is gonna change'.

Dr Evans looked slightly defeated but nodded slowly and gestured Danny into the room.

Once in the room Danny looked down to find Marie on her knees on the floor cleaning up the breakfast that had been launched across the room. She stood up and they smiled sympathetically at each other as she made her way out. Jenna was sitting propped up against her pillow with her knees bent up to her chest. She was picking at a stray tread on her blanket and looked thoroughly miserable.

Danny cleared his throat and Jenna looked up in surprise. She looked like a rabbit in headlights.

'Can I come in?'

Jenna shook her head, her eyes darting passed him hoping someone would come to her rescue.

He sighed and smiled weakly at her.

'I'll leave the door open,' he said as he slowly moved towards her and sat on the seat next to her bed.

Jenna's eyes welled with fresh tears as they continued to switch rapidly between him and the doorway.

'Jenna, do you remember what I said to you last night?'

She nodded.

'What did I say?' He asked gently.

'That you would explain everything,' she whispered.

He nodded. 'What else?'

She thought for a moment. 'You were sorry?'

'That's right. I am. I'm so sorry and it's really important that you understand that. I know that you probably don't believe me right now but I want to try and explain it all to you. Will you let me do that?'

Jenna sniffed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She thought for a moment, then nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N I decided to change where I was going with the story so the summary has changed but all the original chapters are the same.

FOUR WEEKS EARLIER

Jenna sank to the floor of the shower cubical, hot steaming water rained down on her battered body causing it to seem almost painful. Black mascara rivers mixed with both the water and her tears. These rivers dribbled down her cheeks, dripped off of her jaw and dropped onto the tops of her breasts where they meandered their way between her cleavage. 

How could this have happened? 

What had she done? 

Had she brought this on herself? 

FLASHBACK

'_Did you miss me? He demanded, grinding his body into hers. Jenna screamed out in fear and disgust as be nuzzled her neck. 'Yeah baby, you scream as loud and as long as you want. There's no one here but you and me'. _

_Jenna managed to push him off of her and dropped off the edge of the bed, banging her knee off the floor in her haste. She scrambled up and ran to door and tried to open it but it was locked. He followed her and pushed her roughly against the door jabbing the door handle into her back. He reeked of alcohol. _

'_Why don't you come back to bed?'_

'_No, I don't want to!' _

_Ignoring her he forcefully dragged her back to the bed with his vice like grip. She was wild now, kicking out and pulling away, fighting as much as she could. But she was no match for him. She was forced down on the bed, her arms pinned above her and his full weight holding her down. _

'_Oh baby, I wanted this for so long. The only thing standing in the way has been taken away and now its time. I know that deep down you want this too. Pretending to be all shy. It's ok, you don't gotta pretend no more'._

'_Please don't do this, you're hurting me!' She whimpered._

_She felt bloated as he pushed inside her and without waiting he started to work himself in and out._

PRESENT

She knew she should not have gone for a shower, washing away all the evidence, but then again Jenna had no intention of going to police. A Sassone who was raped? That was justice. That's what they would say. She was sure of that.


	5. Chapter 5

Jenna clung to Sam as though her life depended in it. Her head felt fuzzy, as though it was filled with cotton wool. It was as if she was no longer in control of herself any more, like everything was just spiralling out of control. She stared into Sam's chest and breathed in his familiar scent. It had been 3 weeks since she was raped. 3 weeks replaying it over and over in her mind. She was also 1 week late. 

She was numb. Worse than that, she was pregnant. 

Sam Flack's strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her tightly to him. 'It's ok. I'm gonna be hear for you. Ok?'

She nodded mutely.

They sat huddled in the empty girls locker room at Staten High for a while longer. Jenna welcomed the comfort. Needless to say that since the rape she had been withdrawn and weepy. All of her friends had noticed and Sam in particular had been the most concerned. Eventually after cornering her in the locker room she had broken down and told him everything.

'Jenna', he tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. 'I know you said you don't wanna go to the police, so I was thinking, how about to talking to my brother?'

Jenna's eyes widened and shook her head wildly at the suggestion. Panic coursed through her and let out a panicked sob. 

'No! You promised, you said you wouldn't tell'. She spluttered through her tears. 

He gently took her face in his hands. 'Sshh, its ok I'm not gonna tell anyone. I just…I thought that maybe…I don't know…you can't let him get away with this. Don, my brother, he'll know what to do. He could help'.

'No', She whispered. 'I can't. I'm so ashamed Sam. I just can't do it.'


	6. Chapter 6

'Boom', Danny stated subconsciously as CODIS pulled up a match

'Boom', Danny stated subconsciously as CODIS pulled up a match. 'Huh, well hello Ms Sassone'.

'Danny? Are you talking to yourself again?' Lindsey questioned her fiancé teasingly. Danny grinned at her.

'Yup, second sign of madness Montana'.

'Second? What's the first?'

'Not finishing what we started in the shower this morning'. He answered with a cheeky grin.

Lindsey blushed and smiled back.

'So, you got a match?'

'Indeed. The sheets from the bed came back with unidentified vaginal fluids and seamen. The seamen is a match to our vic Ricky Russo. However the DNA from the gravitational blood drops came back female with common allele frequency to someone in our database. Sonny Sassone'. 

'Wait, you're saying that the blood we found is either the sister, daughter or mother of Sonny Sassone?'

Danny nodded. 'You were right on the first one'.

'He's got a sister?'

'Yeah, she's not in CODIS and she's got no previous felonies so she's not in our database. I'll get Flack to scoop her up'.

* * *

Two hours later Jenna Sassone sat in interrogation with Flack and Danny. They surveyed her thoroughly. She was not as they had imagined her. Sonny was burly and cocky. He never let anyone intimidate him, always full of the right answers and the lies would pour smugly from his lips. Jenna, on the other hand seemed to possess none of the same qualities. Her brown hair was messily pulled into a ponytail; some strands had come loose and were now tucked behind her ears. Her eyes were dull blue and had no sparkle and both were underlined with dark circles that were even more prominent on her pale skin. Her denim skirt hung loosely on her now bony hips and her v-neck t-shirt looked about a size too big as it gapped low around her chest and revealed the strap of her bra on one shoulder. 

She looked tired, defeated and broken.

Danny sat at the table in a chair opposite from Jenna. He looked at ease as though he was sitting in a nice restaurant and not in a cold concrete room. His eyes never left Jenna.

Flack circled the table. Like Danny his eyes never left the girl.

'She looks sick'. Flack stated as though she couldn't hear them. 'Don't you think she looks sick Detective Messer?'

Danny shrugged indifferently.

'Ya need to see a doctor Jenna?' Danny asked leaning forward, his voice laced with false concern. 'Or maybe you're just feeling a little guilty about something'.

'I told you already, I wasn't there'. She said quietly.

'But ya see we know that you were'. Danny stated firmly. 'You left your DNA at the crime scene. It's gonna be a whole lot easier for you if you just admit what you did'.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair but said nothing.

'Ok, lets go through everything again'. Flack suggested. 'You _knew_ Russo through your brother. We found _your_ blood at the crime scene. You have _no_ alibi during the time of the murder'.

Jenna looked at the floor.

'So what happened? Were you pissed that that Russo got off Scot-free, meanwhile Sonny gets another life sentence? Huh, bet it made you mad'.

Jenna shook her head and bit her lip.

'No?' Asked Danny.

'No', she confirmed. 'Sonny deserved everything he got. He should have been locked up a long time ago'.

Danny snorted with laughter. 'You think that saying the right words is gonna keep you out of jail?' Jenna looked at him disbelieving. 'Yeah, that's right, jail. You're not a minor anymore. Could get you a nice room at Bayview Correctional Facility'.

'I. Was. Not. There'. Jenna reiterated shakily. 'I didn't do this. Is that it? Are you gonna arrest me for this?'

The detectives exchanged looks with one another. They both knew at the moment they didn't have enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

'Not yet'. Don admitted. 'You can go…for now'.

Jenna rose from her seat on shaking legs and got as far as the door when Flack called out to her.

'Don't go too Jenna. You and your family deserve everything they get. The Sassone's been getting away with too much for too long. You've been asking for it. It's called karma. And I promise you I'm gonna make sure you feel it'.

With that Jenna hung her head and turning on her heel, exited the room.

Danny pulled a latex glove from his pocket and lifted the half empty water glass that Jenna been drinking from.

Flack grinned.

'DNA? Fingerprints?'

Danny grinned back.


	7. Chapter 7

Jenna slammed shut the door of her Greenwich Village apartment, paid for by her father. She leant back against the door, shut her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

Ricky was dead and the police suspected her. Three weeks ago it had been Ricky who had attacked her. There was no way she could go to the police now to report the rape. The detectives who had questioned her didn't believe her, and irony of it was that one of them had been Sam's brother. She remembered this morning in the locker room when Sam had tried to convince her to report the attack to Don Flack. No chance of this happening now. Now she would be seen as having motive.

The second detective who had questioned her was Louis Messer's younger brother. She knew Louis from when he was in Tanglewood and he had knocked about with Sonny. He had always treated her well and often suck up for her when she was younger and Sonny and Ricky had tease her mercilessly. She had liked Louis.

Jenna went to her room and threw some pyjamas and a change of clothes into a bag encase the clinic told her she had to stay the night. She hoped that wouldn't be the case. She went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. Looking into the mirror the stared at the person looking back at her. Her thoughts running a mile a minute through her mind.

In an hour she would be sitting in the Sandyford Clinic preparing for a termination of Ricky's baby. She had told Sam earlier about her appointment and he insisted on coming with her to support her. She wanted to say that she would be ok on her own, but in reality she was grateful for his strength.

Her mind wandered back to the police interrogation she had just endured. Despite her current muddled mind there were certain things they had said that didn't make sense. Detective Messer had said that they found traces of her fresh blood at Ricky's apartment. But she hadn't been at the apartment in 3 weeks and even when she had been there she wasn't aware she had bled in the attack. She also didn't understand how they knew it had been her DNA.

She was pulled back to reality by a knock at the door. It was Sam; she opened the door and let him in.

'Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to get hold of you for the past three hours'. Sam asked impatiently.

'With your brother', she retorted. Sam looked surprised.

'You reported it?'

'No. Ricky's been murdered and I'm apparently at the top of the suspects list'. She told him bitterly. Sam could tell Jenna was close to tears and he pulled her towards him trapping her in a tight hug.

'Did you tell Don anything?'

Jenna snorted and pulled away. 'How can I possibly do that now? "Erm yes Detective, you know the guy you think I murdered? Well guess what; I have a motive for wanting him dead". Seriously Sam?'

'Ok, I get it. You still wanna go through with this?' He asked.

'Yeah. I can't…can't…you know?' Sam nodded understandingly.

'If you're ready we should probably get going'.

'I'm ready'.

* * *

Detectives' Messer and Flack sat patiently in the unmarked police car. They had followed Jenna Sassone back to her apartment as soon as she had left the precinct. They had only been waiting 10 minutes when a familiar car pulled up outside.

'Ain't that…?'

'Yeah, it is. What the hell?'

'You're brothers mixed up with Jenna Sassone?' Danny asked.

They pair watched Sam Flack jog up the stairs and disappear through the entry door to the apartment building.

'I didn't even know Sonny had a sister. You honestly think he'd tell my dad or I if he was? He knows how we feel about that family.

Not long after that the duo watch Sam and Jenna leave the building. Sam threw a small overnight bag in the trunk while Jenna got into the passengers seat. The car pulled away making its way toward the clinic, the passengers unaware of the unwanted police escort.


	8. Chapter 8

Adam stood reading and rereading the results from the DNA comparison he had pulled off the glass Jenna Sassone had drunk from. He squinted at the results.

The first time the analysis had come back he assumed it was an error.

The second time he ran it he knew he should find Mac.

* * *

Danny and Flack pulled up outside the Sandyford Clinic and watch as Sam opened the car door for Jenna and wrap a protective arm around her and lead her through the doors into the clinic. Flack sat open-mouthed staring after the young couple.

'They looked pretty cosy Don', Danny stated. 'You know there's only one reason why they'd come here, right?'

'You think he got her knocked up?' Don questioned.

Danny shrugged. 'Could be someone else's', he suggested.

'Why would he be here if it was someone else's?'

'You wanna go in? Find out?' Danny asked just as his cell began to ring.

'Messer', he answered. 'What?…We're following Jenna Sassone…now?…but Mac…ok…sure…we'll be 15 minutes'.

'Mac wants us to hold off tailing Jenna. Wants to see me back at the lab. You gonna be ok man?'

'Sure. Can't say the same for my brother though'. Don replied with a grimace.

* * *

Danny and Don arrived back the lab and they headed straight for Mac's office. Mac had a grim expression on his face and Adam stood awkwardly, not meeting Danny's questioning eyes as they entered the room.

'Danny. Flack. Sit down please'. Mac instructed them.

They pair sat on the sofa opposite Mac's desk and looked uncomfortably at one another.

'What's this about Mac?' Danny asked.

'The DNA sample Adam pulled off of the glass'. He answered. 'Its not a match to the blood you found at the crime scene'.

'It's not? But that's impossible Mac; Jenna is Sonny sister. We know that the blood belongs to a female sibling'. Danny argued.

'I'm not disputing that Danny. But the evidence is saying that Jenna is not a blood relative of Sonny Sassone'. Mac opened a folder that lay between them on the desk and began reviewing it carefully.

'Ok', said Flack. 'Do we have anything else that would put her at the crime scene?'

Mac looked up from the folder to Adam and indicted he should present his findings. Adam cleared his throat nervously.

Well…erm…I took another look at the bed-sheets and I noticed something else'. Adam paused and Mac nodded encouragingly. 'A third sample'.

Danny shook his head. 'How did I miss that?'

'Well, it was a much smaller sample and deposited on the sheet before the second sample was; the second being the one you tested. It took me a while to isolate the profiles'.

'We got a match?' Flack asked.

'Yeah, it matched the sample pulled from the water glass. Jenna's', Adam confirmed.

'That's good, we can still place her at the crime scene', Danny stated.

'Danny, the sample was too degraded to be consistent with the time of the murder. The sample was a least two weeks old'.

Danny and Flack sighed.

'That's not all', Mac stated. His face grew even more serious. He spun around the folder he had been reading and pushed it towards Danny. The printed information Mac indicated illustrated Jenna's DNA sample, below that was the corresponding sample from the sheets and below that was male DNA sample.

Danny studied the results thoroughly before looked up at Mac. 'This is a joke, right'.

Mac shook his head. 'Jenna shared common alleles with an internal control sample. Danny, Sonny isn't Jenna's brother…you are'.


	9. Chapter 9

Danny threw his keys down on the kitchen table. He crossed the kitchen and pulled out a cold beer from the fridge. Popping it open he took a long slug from the bottle before settling himself down at the table. He looked up as he saw the bedroom door ease open and Lindsey padding towards him through the living area. They smiled softly at one another and he held out a hand to her which she accepted as she lowered herself into the chair next him.

'You speak to your mom?' She asked.

'Yeah', he replied quietly. He let out tired groan and covered his face with his hands. 'Its such a mess Linds, please tell me what to do'.

She smiled sympathetically and rubbed his shoulders.

'If you got all the answers from your mom you'll know what to do Danny'.

**Flashback**

_Danny left the lab that evening and drove straight to his mom and dad's house on Staten Island._

_'Danny?' His mom cried as he let himself through the front door. 'This is a surprise. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you could smell my chocolate_ _chip cookies all the way over in Manhattan. Is Lindsey with you?'_

'_No Ma she's not here'. Danny replied in a sombre tone._

'_Danny, honey, what's wrong?'_

'_Ma, I really need to talk ya about something…' Danny began; however his mother cut him off quickly. The thing about Rosalyn Messer was that she loved talk, but unfortunately she wasn't so great at the listening._

'_Have you two had a fight? You have, haven't you? I knew something was wrong…'_

'_Ma?'_

'_What happened? I hope you're gonna apologise Danny…' _

'_Ma?'_

'_She won't wait around forever you know…'_

'_MA', Danny cried sharply. His mother stopped talking at once and looked at him. 'Linds and I are fine, we didn't have an argument'._

'_Is she pregnant?'_

_Danny made a face, 'no Ma. She's not pregnant'._

_Rosalyn made a face that was halfway between relief and disappointment. 'Are you sick?'_

_Danny shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose and focused on staying calm._

'_Good, because I just found out that Evie Sanchez' cousin has cancer'. Christ, Danny thought to himself, she's off again. ' It's not looking good for her Danny. You should watch yourself, there's a lot of that cancer about'._

_Danny sighed wearily. 'Ma, you can't catch cancer. Its not like a cold'._

_The conversation carried on for a little longer until Danny called a halt to it._

'_Ma, I need to talk to you about something really important. I wanna talk, and for the first little bit I just need you to listen. Ok?'_

'_Sure sweetie'._

'_I'm erm…I'm investigating the murder of one of the members of Tanglewood; Ricky Russo'._

'_Danny, is this connected to Sonny Sassone again?' Concern flashed across her face. Rosalyn had once been a good friend with Sonny's mother. That was before the more serious trouble started and Louis ended up in hospital._

'_Yeah, it is. Do you remember Jenna Sassone?_

_Rosalyn nodded. 'Sonny's sister,' she stated. Danny noticed she look away as she said this and refused to make eye contact with him. He had seen this a thousand times before when he had interview a suspect._

'_Yeah, well we thought we found her DNA at the crime scene, but when we tested it from a sample directed from Jenna we discovered it wasn't a match'._

_By now Danny's mother was squirming in her chair, her eyes clouded with tears. Danny lent closer and took her hands in his. She looked up and finally made eye contact._

'_Do you know what we found Ma?' He whispered._

_She nodded. 'Oh Danny, I'm so sorry,' she cried. 'You were never supposed to find out like this'._

**Present**

'So she admitted that Jenna is her daughter? Your sister?' Lindsey asked.

Danny nodded.

'But how did she end up living with the Sassone's? How come you never knew about her?'

'Well, it turns out that Sonny had a twin sister, Mia, who disappeared about 30 years ago. Lucy Sassone, Sonny's mother, couldn't have any more kids. After her daughter went missing she understandably when into a depression and figured the only out of it was to have another kid. Adoption wasn't a option cause nobody in their right mind would give that family a kid…apart from my mother'. Danny muttered the last part under his breath.

'So she had another kid with your dad and just _gave_ her to Lucy?'

Danny shrugged. 'That's about the size of it'.

'What about Mia? I checked all the reports on the Sassone's and there was never any mention of them reporting a missing child'.

'Apparently they didn't, it was some dodgy business deal that the father was involved in. They figured it was a warning and they couldn't go to the police cause it would cause too much heat on the family. You'd think that would have set alarm bells ringing with my Ma, right?'

Lindsey gave him a wry grin.

'I just don't know how she could do it Linds,' Danny exclaimed. 'Give away her own flesh and blood like that. Her brother is in jail, her sister is missing, her fathers' been under police surveillance longer that she's been alive and her mothers' doped up on whatever prescription painkiller she managed to get hold of that day'.

'What you gonna?' Lindsey asked him softly

'What someone shoulda done a long time ago. I'm gonna be there for her'.


	10. Chapter 10

I have had a successful day

Jenna rolled over in bed, wrapping the duvet tighter around her to keep her body cocooned within the warm comfort of the blanket. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright stream of sunshine that seeped in through the gap in the curtains and beamed its way across the room. Her stomach fluttered nauseously as memories of the previous day came flooding back. Sitting up she propped herself up onto her elbows and scanned the room for signs that Sam was still in the apartment. She was about to call out for him when she heard movement coming from elsewhere in the apartment.

Throwing back the duvet she shakily got to her feet and shuffled out of the room. She tried to ignore the cramping in her stomach and the light headedness but the sensations were too much and she stopped for a second to steady herself until the dizziness passed.

Slowly she made her way through the apartment following the noises of activity which eventually led her to the kitchen.

'Flack?' She called out softly as she approached the doorway. As she entered the room her eyes immediately made contact with Sam's intensely blue ones. He reached out to steady her as she once again began to wobble on her unstable legs. His face shadowed over with concern.

'Jenna, what are you doing up? You should be resting'. He scolded her.

'I…,' she began, but her attention was distracted by movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, visibly shocked, as she was faced with Danny and Don.

* * *

Sam was woken that morning by the steady pounding on the front door. Jumping up from the sofa he rushed to answer the door before the noise disturbed Jenna who was asleep in the next room.

Throwing open the door Sam opened his mouth ready to give the person hell but stopped abruptly, his mouth agape, when he was met by the pissed of faces of his older brother and Danny Messer.

'Can we come in?' Danny asked. 'Thank you,' he said as he shoved pass him and into the apartment before he had a chance to respond.

'Sure,' he answered sarcastically as he shut the door behind them.

'What are you guys doing here?'

'I could ask you the same thing'. Don replied.

Sam made no comment as he made his way to the kitchen for a glass of juice. The two detectives followed, both scanning the apartment and taking in their surroundings. The apartment was cute, very feminine and girly with soft cream carpets and walls painted pretty pastel colours. In the hallway, nailed to the wall were two huge picture frames both of which were filled with photos which were cut to all different sizes and shapes. Glancing quickly on the way passed they both noticed the pictures were all of friends, happy smiling faces, taken at parties; restaurants; sites of New York; a ski holiday; a beach holiday; in the apartment; and at Central Park. Danny also spotted a picture of Louie, his arm curled around Jenna as they both smiled for the camera. None of the Sassone family they noticed.

'So,' Danny casually began, 'heard your girlfriend got an abortion'.

Sam snorted through his juice and looked up at the two older men in shock.

'How…when…how did you…? Sam stuttered. He stopped as he heard movement outside the room.

'Flack?' They heard Jenna call softly as she entered the kitchen.

* * *

Mac had called Danny earlier that morning and stated that neither him, nor Don, was to come into work that day.

'_You're both too emotionally involved,' he had stated firmly. 'Stella and I will follow up on any further leads with the case, and with Jenna. Oh and tell Don that his brother stayed at Jenna's apartment last night, we tracked his cell'._

As soon as the call ended both of them decided it was time to pay the couple an unofficial visit. By the time they reached the front door both of them were pissed off.

'How could he be so stupid, getting her knocked up?' Don raged.

'How could she be so stupid, letting him?' Danny retaliated.

Sam answered the door looking shocked and slightly dishevelled which only seemed to fuel their bad moods. They were led into the kitchen and had barely started giving Sam a hard time when a soft female voice called out.

'Flack?'

There she was. Danny's little sister, looking pale and tired. She was clutching her stomach and swaying slightly on her feet, the expression on her face turning to one of surprise and fear when she finally noticed the two detectives from the day before standing in her kitchen.


	11. Chapter 11

'What do you want now?' Jenna asked defensively. Due to the sombre looks on everybody's faces she tried to prepare herself for bad news, she was expecting them to finish their earlier threats and either arrest her or pull her in for more questioning.

Danny noticed her body tense as she mentally and physically prepared to protect and defend herself for whatever reason they were there for. He tentatively took a step towards her. 'We just wanted to make sure you guys were okay,' he told her.

Jenna automatically scuffled backwards against the doorframe in an effort to maintain distance. 'Why wouldn't we be okay?' Her eyes darted between the two men as they awkwardly exchanged looks with one another.

'They know,' explained Sam, 'they know about the baby'.

'Oh,' she whispered, her gaze falling to the floor. The silence that enveloped the kitchen was magnified by the chaotic sounds from the street that poured through the open kitchen window. Nobody spoke. Sam also stared at the floor; Jenna fidgeted with the cord on her pyjama bottoms, Don stared at Danny trying to the read his thoughts and Danny stared at Jenna.

The kitchen clock ticked theatrically. The silence went on.

Danny studied Jenna; he noted that from the photo frames in the hallway that she looked a lot like his mother had when she was younger. He thought about the wedding photographs that stood proudly on his parents' mantelpiece in the lounge. His father, an imposing fair-haired youth, had his arm pulled protectively around the waist of his mother. His mother, who was three months pregnant at the time with Louie, was smiling brightly. Her chocolate brown hair framing her rosy cheeks, dimple and button nose. The marriage had been one of convenience, but it was one that had worked well. Danny figured that Jenna would be about the same age as his mother was in that cheery wedding photo, however at this moment in time Jenna didn't look so cheery. Beaten and lost would be a more accurate description of this woeful teen.

Opening his mouth in an attempt to break the now uncomfortable silence Don was beaten to it by his younger brother.

'Jenna, come on, you need to rest'. Sam stated as he guided her out and into the lounge. Plumping up the cushion on the sofa he settled her down and tucked her in with a blanket.

'Tea?' He asked. She nodded her acceptance and smiled lightly as she snuggled back into the cushions.

'How she really doing?' Danny asked when he joined the two older men back in the kitchen. Sam narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

'What the hell do you care? You wantin' ta make sure she's fit to take the stand for when you pin Russo's murder on her?' He spat angrily as he proceeded to rummage through cupboards for a teabag and mug.

'Sam, we're not here about that,' Don firmly told him. 'We followed you yesterday. Was it yours?'

Sam swallowed, anticipating his next move. 'Yeah,' he answered, 'it was mine'. Don Flack stared at his brother.

'You're lying'. He stated.

'No I'm not. And in answer to your question Danny, she's fine. Now if you'll excuse me you can see yourself out.' Turning Sam lifted the mug of hot sweet tea from the counter and left the kitchen.

Sam handed the mug to Jenna and she sipped it slowly, neither of them spoke until they heard the front door opening and shutting as their visitors left. Breathing a sigh of relief Sam finally sat down on the couch beside her.

'Erm…. I told them it was mine', he said shyly.

'You didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have lied to your brother'. She paused, 'Thank you'.

'You're welcome. Not that it'll do much good, he didn't believe me'. He grumbled. 'If I know either of them they'll be trying to figure why I lied'.

Jenna nodded slowly, trying to accept her fate. 'Just a matter of time then, eh?'

'I'm sorry'

'Don't be,' she said with a shrug.


	12. Chapter 12

'J, honestly I not so sure that this is such a wise idea'. Sam stated unenthusiastically.

'Oh Flack,' Jenna whined, 'pretty please? Things have been so shitty lately, pleeeeeeeease?'

Sam looked a Jenna and sighed. Technically she was right, things had been shitty for her lately but he still wasn't sure that going to a party and getting drunk was the way to go. He caved, 'fine then.'

Reluctantly he lowered himself to her living room floor beside her and accepted the shot of Absolute she was thrusting at him. Clinking their glasses they both tilted their heads and swallowed the clear liquid, Jenna screwed up her face as the liquid washed over her taste buds and burned its way down her throat.

'Another,' she insisted pouring out more.

2 hours later the pair were more than a little tipsy. Jenna was giggling madly as she attempted to pour more shots but only succeeded in spilling the vodka over the coffee table instead.

'You're drunk!' Sam slurred in mock disgust. Jenna began laughing and started to snort which in turn made Sam dissolve into more hysterical laughter.

'Sammy, I got some bad bad news.' Jenna stated seriously. He stopped laughing immediately. 'We are completely outta vodka'.

'Nooooooooooo'.

'Mmmmhmmmm,' Jenna shut her eyes and nodded solemnly. 'But lucky for you I know where we can get s'more. The time has come to go party'.

* * *

After some embarrassingly drunken dancing and a few more drinks the pair eventually stumbled off in search of their coats. Jenna not so subtly managing to swipe a bottle of champagne on the way out.

Tripping awkwardly in her heels she slammed into Sam who caught her before she fell. Staring up into his eyes she felt something rising up inside of her. She slowly leaned in for a kiss before pulling apart, her lips tingling. Sam lifted her up into a nearby table before kissing her back. Her mouth hungrily sought out his once again, her soft lips pressing against his, her tongue brushing against his lips seeking entry. Her hands tugged the front of his shirt pulling his muscular body closer and her smooth bare legs clamped tightly around his waist.

_This isn't right, Sam thought to himself, she isn't ready for this, and I should not be doing this._

But he couldn't stop. He wanted her, he had wanted her forever. Their tongues finally met, both parties tasting the vodka in each other's mouths and breaths.

_God I'm hammered, he thought._

At that he pulled away, panting for breath. Her cheeks had taken on a rosy hue; her hair in disarray and her bright blue eyes sparkled questioningly in the semi-darkened cloakroom.

'We shouldn't be doing this. We're drunk'.

'So?' She asked taking a slug from the Moet bottle sitting next her on the table then pulling him towards her once again. He fought back.

'Isn't it too soon?'

Jenna smiled and shook her head giggling. 'No. I want you. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. Okay?' She pulled him back to her and resumed her kissing. Responding, he planted his hands onto her hips and pulled her even closer. After a minute he moved one of his hands further south down passed the soft blue silk of her dress until he hit the naked skin of her thigh, he played idly with the hem before sliding his hand up again and under her dress. The material bunched up around her waist until there was nothing but her lacy black panties between her naked flesh and him.

He gave her a moment to back out if this was all too much for her, but she didn't. He could feel her pulse racing and her grasp on him tightened but she didn't stop. He moved his hand up between her legs and began to stroke her through the dampness of her panties. She whimpered and pushed herself further into his hand, arching her back slightly and nipping at his lower lip. Pulling aside the panties he slid a finger up inside and began to work her while rubbing her clit.

'Close,' she murmured into his mouth. He began sucking and nipping the side of her neck his eyes partially closed when suddenly the door flew open and the light flicked on…


	13. Chapter 13

I have had a successful day

'You,' Don pointing at Sam, 'sit there,' he indicated one end of the sofa in Jenna's apartment. 'And you, sit there,' he said pointing at Jenna and then at the opposite end of the couch. With his hands on his hips he began to pace the room as he tried desperately to control his building rage. The two teens sat in silence staring intently at the floor as they braced themselves for his oncoming lecture. It seemed to take forever, but eventually it came.

'What the hell were you thinking? Getting drunk? Having sex? Do I have to remind you what happened the last time you two slept together?' He turned to Danny, who was standing arms folded, legs shoulder width apart watching Jenna before turning back towards the couple, who remained wordless on the sofa.

'Nothing too say, huh?' Don asked 'Sam you got anything to say, or you still too drunk to be able to form a coherent sentence?'

'I'm not that drunk,' Sam muttered breaking his silence.

'Oh it does talk,' Don jested sarcastically. 'So what, getting her pregnant once wasn't enough? You thought you'd go double or quits?'

Jenna's eyes finally left the floor, 'it's not like that,' she whispered in Sam's defence. She said it so quietly that if it hadn't been for the room being completely silent probably nobody would have heard her.

Finally Danny spoke up, 'no? Why don't you tell us what its like then?' Her eyes drifted back to the floor as she began to toy nervously with the hem of her dress.

Don turned back to his brother. 'You know, I never thought I'd hear myself say this but, if mom was still alive she'd be so ashamed of you right now Sam'. Within a second Sam was on his feet squaring up to his older brother. Don was still a few inches taller than Sam, and had spent a greater amount of time in the gym working out, but this didn't seem to deter him.

'Don't you say that Don, don't you ever say that'. He yelled angrily, spitting slightly with his words as he shoved him backwards. 'You don't know anything, she would be proud of me'.

'Sam,' Jenna cried as she jumped to her feet in a meek attempted to intervene in the argument. Danny caught her arm gently before she could become fully involved.

'Why don't you tell me then Sam? Tell me what you did to make our mother proud of you'. Don said narrowing his eyes. Sam's chest heaved; he looked as though he'd just finished running a marathon as he contemplated his two options. Eventually he turned to Jenna, an apologetic look in his eyes as he began to shake his head. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was going to do.

'I'm sorry Jen, but it's the right thing to do,' he murmured.

Her eyes filled with tears, 'please Sam, please don't.' She tried to cross the room to get to him, to plead with him not to tell. She couldn't bare it, the thought of these people, these strangers, knowing her secret. Danny gently tightened his hold on her upper arm and pulled her to him in an effort to stop any of her words and actions influence Sam's choice to tell whatever secret it was that the two of them kept.

Sam lowered his eyes from her face unable to look at her whilst breaking his promise of silence.

'You were right, the baby, it wasn't mine'.

'Who's was it Sam?'

Sam swallowed and took a deep breath, meanwhile Jenna was holding hers. 'It was Ricky's. Ricky Russo's'. Jenna shut her eyes tightly hoping to shut out everything that was happening.

'Is that true?' Danny asked looking down at her.

Jenna bit her lip and remained motionless for a second before slowly nodding. 'I slept with him,' she stated softly as a tear rolled down the apple of her cheek.

'No Jenna, tell them the whole truth,' Sam pleaded. Jenna sniffed and shook her head as more tears flooded her face.

'She didn't sleep with him,' he informed the detectives.

Danny face scrunched in disbelief as realisation hit him head on, 'he…he raped you?' He finally let go of Jenna's arm as she pulled away and dropped to her knees, hiding her face in her hands and sobbing.

'Why didn't you report it?' Don asked cautiously. She brought her hands away, her face streaked with tears.

'In my family, its better to be a whore than it is to be victim,' she told them flatly before bringing her hands up to her face once again. She felt strong arms gathering her up and holding her tight, comforting her and gently rocking her back and forth as her back was soothingly rubbed. She buried her face into his chest letting her cheek press against the soft cotton of a t-shirt and expected to breathe in Sam's familiar sent, but this wasn't Sam. She pulled back roughly and was met with kind blue eyes set behind silver rimmed spectacles. She tried to pull away but he gently fought her until she gave up and settled against him, tired from her weak exertions. He continued to rock her until he felt her breathing deepen and her body relax as she drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Waking up the following morning Jenna's eyelids slowly fluttered open to two narrow slits as her pupils constricted to the brightness of the room. She pushed herself upright from her makeshift bed on the couch as the blanket that had been tucked around her fell from her shoulders and pooled around her waist. Her ears twitched at the sound of talking and movement coming from the kitchen. She recognised the weary, tired voices of Sam, his brother and Danny Messer. She stiffened at the thought of them coming back into the room, having to answer their questions and deal with their looks of either pity or revulsion. She didn't want their sympathy, and to be truthful she didn't really expect to get it either.

Getting shakily to her feet, as quietly as she could, she stepped over her high-heeled shoes that had been placed neatly by the side of the couch. She couldn't remember taking them off, removed from her sometime after she had fallen asleep she realised. She crept silently towards the bathroom and managed to get to just outside the door when she turned, hearing Sam's voice behind her.

'You're awake,' he stated in surprise. He figured after what had happened the evening before she would still be asleep, at least for another couple of hours. She looked so hopeless standing there in her now crushed blue party dress swaying around the tops of her knees, her feet bare and hair in disarray.

She looked at him, unsure of what to say. She heard chairs scrapping backwards on the tiled floor of the kitchen and her eyes widened at the understanding that she was seconds away from being confronted by all three of them. She imagined disturbing images of the disgusted looks on their faces and she new she had to get away and wanted to not yet have to face them, any of them. Calmly, without uttering a single word, she did a sidestep into the safety of the bathroom, shut the door with a dull thud and wrestled the lock with trembling fingers until eventually it snapped shut.

Once inside the safe confines of her bathroom sanctuary she slide down the wall and sat on the cool linoleum beneath her, waiting for her racing heart to subdue once more. Drawing her knees up under her chin she glanced around her once familiar bathroom, a white windowless porcelain box, brightened only by her personal effects, fluffy hot pink towels, a vast array of her lotions and gels, novelty rubber duck. Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she further realised her new predicament. In trying to avoid Sam and the others, all she had managed to do was effectively corner herself in a room where there was no way out except the way she had come in. Realising her fatal error she curled into a ball on the floor of her self imposed prison and wept some more.

A gentle knock at the door followed with the unmistakable sounds of a Staten Island accent. 'Jenna. Sweetheart, please will you come out'.

Her tears faded slightly, the voice, it sounded so familiar and comforting. It sounded like…and yet it couldn't be…could it?

'Louie?' she asked cautiously. There was a pause, that's when she realised who the voice really belonged to and she blushed self-consciously at her error.

'No sweetie,' the voice said gently, 'it's Danny, Louis' brother. Please will you come out?' Jenna shook her head slightly oblivious to the fact her action could not be seen.

'Please sweetheart, you don't have to talk or anything. I just wanna make sure you're ok. Please?'

She remained silent, only sniffing a little and brushing away some of the tears from her face. She thought about his kind, concerned eyes from the night before and now how much his low easy voice practically caused the door to vibrate between them.

_He couldn't be bad_, she thought, _maybe he's just like his brother, makes bad decisions but really has a heart of gold_. But then again…

'What do ya say Jenna? Just open the door. It'll just be you and me, ok? Just to make sure you're ok'.

Danny was practically begging by now as he stood with his forehead leaning against the white wooden door. Don was standing leaning over, hands on thighs watching the door for any signs of movement, the wall behind him propping him up, and Sam was bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and generally becoming more agitated with each passing second.

'Or I'll go, Sam's here, you wanna see Sam?'

Jenna began to bite her bottom lip. _Maybe she should just come out, face them all_. Her eyes watered at the thought.

'Maybe you don't wanna see any of us, huh? Jenna? You want us to call someone else, a friend? Your mom?'

'No,' she sobbed out abruptly, surprising both herself and Danny with the volume and resolution of her voice.

'Ok, ok, not her,' he called back hastily. 'Erm…what about my friend Lindsay? She's great; I think you'd like her. You can talk to her about anything and, like I said, you don't even have to talk, she could just make sure you're ok in there.'

He stopped talking, waiting on her to make a decision. He refrained from called Lindsay his fiancé, he didn't want to give her even more details to think about and analyse. He didn't want her to think that Lindsay would make her do anything she didn't want to.

On the other side of the door Jenna had already gotten to her feet. His voice was so gentle and patient, plus she couldn't stay in there forever. She took a deep breath and on tiny steps made her way over to the door, she was tired again. She lifted her arm and was only inches away from the lock, about to snap it open, when an all-mighty banging began to rain down on the door and caused it to quake in its frame.

Sam had finally grown impatient with Danny's seemingly useless negotiations. 'Jenna,' Sam shouted from the other side, 'you open this door right now, or I swear to God I'll break it down.'

She let out a yelp and jumped back in fright as she began crying again.

'Get him outta here,' Danny barked at Don whilst struggling with Sam to get him away from the door.


	15. Chapter 15

Danny turned his attention back to the bathroom door. 'Sweetie, I heard you, you got a fright, you ok in there?' He asked urgently. 'Please, just tell me you're ok?'

Jenna put her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut and tried to wait until her breathing returned to normal. 'Go away,' she pleaded.

Danny signed and laid his head back down on the door. _Oh well_, he thought, _at least she spoke_.

As her breathing slowed she opened her eyes and found herself face to face looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She looked away in disgust and self-loathing. Her face was wet and blotchy from crying and last nights mascara had accumulated beneath her puffy and bloodshot eyes. Her head ached from all the crying and possibly from the alcohol she had consumed the previous night. It throbbed painfully on her right temple until she couldn't bare it anymore and began to rummage through the vanity for some painkillers. Clutching the large bottle of prescription painkillers tightly in her hand she looked at it with renewed interest as she almost instantly felt her body and mind calm. She stared at it a while longer before fumbling through the drawer, searching for more.

On concluding her search she placed all the bottles out in a row in front of her. Some out of date Benzodiazepine tablets she had stolen and hid from her mother (before she gave up caring what her mother did, or who she did it with), Oxycodone from when she had twisted her ankle at cheerleading practice, anti-depressants she had never taken, and finally, the remainder of her antibiotics she had been prescribed by the clinic. She reached up to get the water glass that sat on the shelf above the sink, the shelf was crammed full of other junk and when she removed the glass she managed to dislodge half the contents as well. Her toothbrush and razor landed in the sink with a clank, facewash bounced into the bath with a thud and a bottle of talc landed on the floor with a bang which caused the powdery white contents to erupt like nuclear fallout into the air before settling on the surfaces beneath like icing sugar on a cake.

The door knocked again in rapid succession. 'You ok in there?' came Danny's concerned voice from the other side of the door.

She frowned almost ready to tell him to drop dead and to go find someone else to bother, instead she ignored him and turned back to the task in hand. She filled her glass and emptied the contents of the bottles onto the floor. She selected a large pink oval shaped pill from the pile and swallowed it quickly with a gulp of water before she could change her mind. She looked at the pills in front of her, and then she selected a blue one.

From the other side of the door Danny waited patiently for an answer. It never came. Frustrated, he jiggled the door handle before knocking more incessantly. 'Ok Jenna, I really need you open the door now, ok?'

Don motioned for Danny to step aside as he stooped down to inspect the lock. 'There's a groove on the outside of the lock, if you want, we could try and jam something in it and open it from the outside?'

Danny contemplated this idea for a second before nodding in agreement and then going in search of a screwdriver. Unable to find one he returned minutes later with a kitchen knife, which he handed to Don, who slid it into the groove before twisting it to the right. It took him several attempts but eventually the lock clicked open and Don rose to his feet before moving away from the door.

'Jenna,' Danny called, 'we're coming in now, ok?' Slowly he turned the handle and pushed open the door. Jenna was slumped beside the bath, her face pressed on the lip of the tub and her eyes shut. They immediately spotted the empty containers strewn across the floor and rushed over.

'What have you done?' Danny growled, taking her face in his hands and checking her neck for a pulse. Finding one he yelled back to Sam to call 911 while Don checked the prescriptions on the bottles to find out what she had taken. 'What ya got there Don?'

'Cocktail, I've got Benzos', painkillers and anti-depressants'.

Danny signed and began rubbing his knuckles against her chest and pinching the back of her arm in an effort to get a response from her. Eventually she did and her eyelids slowly opened. He was calling her name, but to her it seemed to echo as though she was under water. Suddenly her ears cleared and she could hear him normally and he asked if she knew where she was.

'School,' she mumbled, then, 'sick' as she tried to move. Danny grabbed her and bent her over the toilet where she proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into the bowl. She fell against him and he felt her shake in his arms as tears streamed down her face at the sheer exertion of the vomiting. He placed a cool wet cloth on her forehead and focused on keeping her calm and conscious until the paramedics arrived.


	16. Chapter 16

**Present**

Danny finished talking and waited on Jenna to make comment. Since he began his explanation of all that had happened within the past week, from his point of view, she had not spoken. She had glanced at him from time to time during various parts of the story, especially the part of who her real parents were. Now he had finished she stared down at her thin blanket, her brow furrowed as she tried to process the information she had just been given.

'You wanna ask me anything?' Danny said.

She shook her head mutely.

'That's ok, a lot to take in, huh?'

She nodded. The room descended into silence once more before Danny cleared his throat trying to avoid the silence becoming uncomfortable.

'So, erm Don said you were pretty upset earlier. What happened?'

She shrugged.

'Come on Jenna, I know that's not true tell me what happened.'

She blinked in rapid succession as she prepared herself to talk. 'My dad,' she whispered, 'he stopped by'. Danny already knew this; he nodded encouraging her to continue. 'He told me he didn't want to see me again and that he was selling the apartment'. She rushed out the explanation, leaving out the details encase she got upset again.

Danny sighed and leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. 'I'm sorry. Did he say why?'

She nodded. 'He said I was weak, and that I brought shame on the family, that I meant nothing to him anymore.' As she spoke her voice thickened with unshed tears. He lent forward and laid a reassuring hand on her arm.

'You 're freezing,' he exclaimed, noticing the gooseflesh on her arms. He stood up and quickly shrugged off his navy hoodie. 'Sit up,' he instructed.

'It's ok, I'm not that cold,' she told him.

'Humour me.' She sighed and lent forward allowing Danny to slip his top over her shoulders and thread her arms through the sleeves, being careful of the needle that was still pushed into the back of her hand from the IV which had been attached earlier. He zipped it up as she settled back down against the bed. She blushed; embarrassed at the unfamiliar attentions Danny was showing towards her with regards to her well-being. This concept was alien to her, even when she was little the woman she had considered to be her mother had never shown her much concern.

Danny settled back into his chair.

'Doc said you're doing good. Should be out tomorrow'. He watched her for a reaction, he got none, she just continued to bite her thumbnail. 'Said the OD didn't cause any permanent damage'. She looked at him in confusion. 'Sometimes it can cause organ failure, you were lucky'.

'Great,' she mumbled sarcastically, this comment was followed by more silence.

Danny couldn't bare it any longer; he had tried the 'softly-softly' approach and clearly that wasn't working. Earlier that day Jenna had tried to run out of the hospital, she had waited until Danny had taken Linds and Sam to the cafeteria for a drink while her dad visited her. Afterwards when she was alone she tried to leave the hospital where she had accidentally run into Don. Crying hysterically, dressed only in her pyjamas, he had easily managed to wrestle her back to her room when she had been administered with a sedative.

'Why'd you try and run away?'

Jenna shut her eyes; she had kinda been hoping this line of questioning wouldn't come up.

'I'm not even gonna think about leaving until you tell me,' he warned her.

She opened her eyes again. 'I thought you were with Sonny'.

Danny looked surprised, 'why would you think that?'

'I saw him'.

'When?'

'Today'.

'Sweetheart, Sonny's in prison'.

'I know,' she replied irritably, 'maybe he got out'.

'He didn't'.

'But I saw him'.

'With me?' Danny confirmed.

She furrowed her brow as she tried to think through her fuzzy memories of earlier, 'I…maybe…I don't know,' she said replied shaking her head in confusion.

Danny stared her for a while before nodding slowly. She sighed in frustration; she knew he didn't believe her. But she had seen him, hadn't she?'

He reached over for the TV remote and switched it on, finding an old episode of The Simpson's he settled back into his seat. Jenna looked over at him in surprise.

'What?' He asked.

'You said you'd leave if I told you'.

'No, I said I'd _think_ about leaving if you told me,' he said emphasising the word think. 'I decided against it,' he confirmed unnecessarily as he turned his attention back towards to the TV just in time to see Bart and Millhouse getting high on slushies, he let out a chuckle.

Jenna exhaled noisily before flopping her head back down on the pillow in defeat.


	17. Chapter 17

He leant against the doorframe of the hospital room watching her pack her few personal items that had made their way over to the hospital during her short stay. Her pyjamas, various articles of clothing, school books and her ipod all placed neatly into her stylish black Pringle weekend bag. The celebrity gossip magazines that Lindsey had bought for her were now dog-eared at the corners after being read thoroughly cover-to-cover and had been placed into the waste paper bin. Underneath the magazines, crushed and bent under their weight, was a spray of sunshine yellow daffodils.

He furrowed his brow as he watched her. She was still too thin. She needed feeding up. He would remedy that. After the suicide attempt she had been required by the hospital to take a psych evaluation before they would grant her with discharge papers, she had passed and had also reluctantly agreed to a weekly session with a councillor.

Now she was ready to go; back to an apartment that wasn't there, back to a family who didn't want her. She twisted round at the sound of movement as he stepped into the room.

'You ready to get moving?' He asked with a smile.

She swept the room with her eyes encase she had missed anything. 'Yup,' she answered while nodding affirmatively. Her eyes came to rest on Danny's hoodie that she had laid out next to her bag on top of the bed. She picked it up and turned to face him. 'Erm, you can have this back now, thanks.' She said while holding it out towards him.

Danny smiled broadly at her shyness, 'why don't you hold onto it just now and I'll take your bag for you?'

'Its ok, I'm gonna take a taxi'.

'Na, I'll drive you to wherever your staying, say where is that by the way?' He asked, knowing full well she wouldn't have a suitable answer for him that would meet with his approval.

She shrugged, avoided making eye contact, and told him she would stay with a friend. He frowned at her answer. He had been right, it was _not_ a suitable answer and it did _not_ meet with his approval.

She could feel him watching her and when she looked up she was met by a disapproving look as he shook his head.

'No, you'll come stay with me,' he told her. It was Jenna's turn to frown at Danny and she opened her mouth to protest, to tell him that wasn't going to happen, but Danny held up his hand silencing her. He had been expecting this.

'You come stay with me where I can keep an eye on you,' he repeated before pausing. 'Or, I'll take you down to the precinct and tell everyone that I'm taking you in for routine questioning and I'll sit with you in holding all night where I can keep an eye on you.'

Jenna's jaw dropped open.

'Then I'll do the same thing the next night, then the next, and so on and so forth.'

'You can't be serious?' She asked him disbelievingly.

Danny nodded, 'as a heart attack. So, what'll it be? Option A, or option B?' He asked as he produced a set of handcuffs from behind his back. Jenna was speechless and Danny smirked at her. 'I'll take that as a request for option A then,' he told her as he lent forward and retrieved her bag from the bed. He turned and strode out of the room before calling back over his shoulder, 'hurry up kiddo, we'll be late for dinner'.

They were in the car and were still a few minutes from Danny's apartment. Jenna hadn't said a word since they left the hospital, he knew she was in a huff with him but eventually she spoke. 'Would you really have taken me to the precinct?' She asked cautiously.

Danny smiled again, he had been doing that a lot the past few days, 'Na,' he admitted, 'I just had to come up with a cunning plot that would make you let me take care of you'.

'I can take care of myself,' she muttered.

Danny sighed and pulled a face, 'I know, but wouldn't it be nice if you let someone else take care of you, just for a little while?'

She turned away and concentrated on looking out of the passenger window to avoid answering the question.

'Like Sam,' Danny prompted.

'What?' She asked looking back in surprise.

'Sam, he was looking out for you'.

'No he wasn't.'

'Yeah he was.'

'He broke his promise,' she told him through clenched teeth. She didn't want to talk about Sam, she was still angry with him.

Danny shrugged as he pulled the car into an empty space outside his apartment and shut off the engine, 'he was worried about you, he was trying to do the best by you'.

'Yeah, well it wasn't, was it?' she snapped.

'You can't blame Sam for your stupid decision to take an overdose,' Danny shot back. Jenna recoiled in her seat as Danny instantly regretted his words. 'I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.'

'Why, it's the truth.' She said in a low voice.

Danny silently cursed himself as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. 'Come on, I'll get your stuff outta the truck, we're home now.'


	18. Chapter 18

She had eaten as much as she could

Jenna tapped her calculator with end of her pen and sighed in frustration. She didn't know what a mole was, she didn't know how to figure it out and she couldn't think of any possible reason she would need to know this information. She furrowed her brow and reread the chemistry question from her textbook in the hope that it would suddenly become a whole lot clearer. It didn't. Danny glanced over from his spot on the sofa.

"How ya doing over there, ya getting anywhere?" He asked after clocking the aggravated look on Jenna's face.

"No," she grumbled. "Its stupid, why do I need to know this, I'm never gonna need it?"

Danny smirked as he stood up and made his way over to Jenna, who was sitting at the breakfast bar. She sounded like him when he was her age. He took a seat in the chair next to her and pulled the textbook over to him.

"Okay, what do we got here?" He mumbled to himself. He cleared his throat and pulled the pen from Jenna's hand as he jotted down the first equation into her notebook. "Okay, so ya know what a mole is, right?"

Jenna gave him a pained expression, "some kinda weight?" she asked hopefully.

Danny smiled before launching in to simplified explanation, then checking to make sure Jenna understood what he was going on about.

"So this equation is used to figure out the yields of different masses, okay?" Jenna nodded hesitantly. "How about we go through the first couple together?"

"Okay," she said nodding in agreement. They worked together until Danny was sure she had it down.

"See, I'll turn you into a science geek yet, just you wait and see!" Danny joked as he gave her a mock evil look.

"No chance," she responded. "How'd you know all this stuff anyway?"

"I had to learn it for my exams," he told her as he absentmindedly flicked through the textbook.

"You use it?" She asked sceptically.

Danny grinned, "na, that's what we got lab techs for. Don't mean you don't need to learn it though. What else ya need to do tonight?"

"Not much after this. I need to use the Internet to find an contemporary artist to study then I'm done."

Danny thought for a moment before he made his way over the bookcase. He selected a large hard-backed book and flipped it over to make sure he had the right one. "What about him?" He asked, handing her the book.

"JoLoMo? I've never heard of him."

"Don't mean he's not good." Danny reasoned. Opening the book she skimmed through the pages of brightly coloured paintings of cottages and shorelines.

"Can I borrow this?" She asked holding up the book.

"Yeah, you like?"

She nodded keenly, "more interesting than Turner."

Jenna left the art classroom, her last class of the day, and headed off to her locker to pick up her jacket. The summer had faded fast, the days getting gradually shorter and most of the time a light jacket was now required. Today had been one of the better days at school recently. Her friends had pretty much stop treating her with kid gloves and were back to normal, with the exception of Sam who had thrown himself back into training as the hockey season started up again. Although most people still tiptoed round her, other students stared at her in halls, whispering and pointing with their friends. Even Julie the school's resident weird girl had had something to say, on her first day back Julie had come up and actually congratulated her on trying to kill herself. Jenna had been dumbfounded, and even more so when she had then gone on to wish her luck for next time. _Weirdo_, she had muttered as she watched Julie scurry off.

Bouncing down the steps of the school she met a head on collision with Sam. She cursed herself; so far she managed to almost completely avoid him, until now.

"Wow, J, you okay?" He asked steadying her on her feet.

"Erm, yeah sorry. Shoulda been lookin' where I was going." She laughed nervously.

Sam looked apprehensively at Jenna before clearing his throat, "well I'm glad I bumped into ya anyway." She looked up at Sam and, unable to avoid his obvious and downright awful joke, couldn't help by smile. He smiled back, "you wonna grad a soda?"

"That depends, you paying?"

"Jenna, with you, I'm always gonna be paying," he teased. She slugged him in the arm as the pair made their way across the road to Cath's Diner. Jenna slid into a booth by the window as Sam headed to the counter to order their drinks. The diner was bright and spacious with a retro feel to it, with a black and white tiled floor and red pleather seating. The food was cheap which made it appealing for the students at Jenna and Sam's school, but was also relatively close to the local police precinct which meant that the clientele was a healthy mix of students and police officers. Sam nodded hello to several of them as he returned with the drinks.

"How's training going?" Jenna asked.

"It's going good, feels good to be back on the ice again. How's school?"

"Yeah its okay," she said with a shrug.

"You need any help with any of your subjects?"

She shook her head. "Most of them have been pretty easy to pick up again. Danny's helping me with chemistry though."

"Yeah, how's that going?"

"What, chemistry?"

"Living with Danny," he replied rolling his eyes.

She shrugged again. "Its okay. Kinda weird though." Sam looked at her questioningly. "You know, one minute he's hauling my ass in thinking I killed someone and the next he's going all big brother on me."

"You heard anymore about Russo's murder?"

She shook her head as she sipped her diet coke. "Danny won't tell me anything, says its part of an ongoing investigation or something." She paused, "Sam, I owe you an apology."

"Na ya don't, its fine…"

"Yeah I do. I've treated you really badly over everything that's happened and I'm sorry. I know that you only told Danny and your brother what happened because you care. I couldn't see that at first. But even though I understand why and I understand that it was the right thing to do…" She paused, looking sheepish, "I still kinda wish you hadn't."

Sam nodded. "I get that, and I wish I could of helped another way, but I'm glad I did what I did. In fact, you may hate me for this but, if had to do it again, the only thing I'd do different would be to tell someone sooner."

Jenna smiled softly before jumping suddenly and making a grab for Sam's wrist. "Oh my god," she gasped reading the time off his watch and jumping up from her seat.

"What, what's wrong?" he asked in concern, "you late for something?"

"No, I just really need to get home" she replied anxiously.

"Why?" Sam asked confused.

"Well, it's just that Danny and Lindsay like to know where I am. I'm not supposed to be late home from school." She admitted uncomfortably as Sam snorted with laughter. "I don't know what you're laughing at, as soon as he's done with me, he's gonna come after you." She pointed out.

Sam grinned at her. "Best get you home then." He wrapped an arm round Jenna as they made their way out to Sam's car. "So, they always this overprotective with ya?"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Hope all those of you who are reading are enjoying! Also apologies for anyone who reviewed and didn't get a reply, I only figured out how to respond a little while ago** **:D (Total computer amature that I am!!)**

"Why do you find it difficult?" Ella coaxed gently.

Jenna shrugged, "I don't really know. I mean he's like a stranger to me, I don't know him, I know Lois, but not him."

"Do you want to know Danny?"

Jenna sighed, "I guess".

"You guess?"

"Well he's my brother. It's just hard".

Ella nodded and resumed writing in her notebook, "and who's making it hard? You, or Danny?"

Jenna furrowed her brow as she contemplated her answer, "me?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

Jenna looked up at her therapist with an exasperated expression marring her pretty features. "Can't you just tell me the answers?" she moaned.

Ella smirked at the young girl in front of her. She had been seeing Jenna Sassone/Messer for a month, or 4 sessions to be more exact, and she liked her a lot. She was a tough cookie, both in her mental endurance and also in trying to extract any information from her, although slowly she was opening up. Ella raised an eyebrow to indicate that she was still looking for an answer for her previous question. Jenna rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't know," she told her with an utterly confused expression.

Ella tapped her pen on her notebook and looked thoughtful, "you want to know what I think? I think that it's not Danny that's making this situation hard". She paused, "nor is it you. I think that it's the situation itself. Its nobodies fault, it's just the hand you've both been dealt, and I'm almost certain that Danny is just as confused as you are." She watched Jenna's face to make sure that she understood what she was saying before she continued, "do you and Danny talk about anything that's happened".

"No".

"Have you _ever_ spoken about it?" Jenna shook her head, "why not?"

Jenna bit her lip as she felt herself getting a bit more emotional, her eyes watered slightly as she blinked back the tears. "It's too much," she offered simply.

Ella smiled sympathetically and patiently, "you're right, it is too much, and Danny is worried about you, in fact a lot of people are worried about you." Ella closed her notebook and placed it on the side table to her left as she chose her next words carefully, "you have been through an extremely traumatic event. Being the victim of a rape can completely destroy relationships; confidence; and self esteem, just to name a few. You're lucky though, yes you've been violated by this horrific crime and you've had to deal with the fallout of it but you have so many people who love you and care for you and who are there for you. Many people don't have that loving support network. I understand that its difficult for you to talk about what you're been through but you should take advantage of Danny and Sam and Lindsay, heck you even try opening up to your therapist!" she joked. Jenna cracked a small smile.

"Danny mentioned that you two had a bit of disagreement, can you tell me about it?"

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"Jenna, ya home sweetheart?" Danny called as he shut over the front door; he had just come off a 14-hour shift and just wanted to relax for the night before heading back to work in 12 hours time._

_Jenna jumped in fright and dropped the tiny box onto the floor spilling its contents, shit she cursed herself, stupid nerves were shot to hell. "Erm yeah I'll just be a second," she called back as she hastily threw the contents back into the box, bar one which she held back in the palm of her hand. She no sooner replaced the box into her dresser drawer when her bedroom door flew open; jumping to her feet she spun round to face Danny, a nervous look on her face._

_"Whatcha doing?" he asked suspiciously as he walked towards her._

_"N-nothing," she stammered. Danny wasn't buying it; he stopped and put his hands on his hips. Crap she though, cop mode alert._

_"What you got behind your back?"_

_She shook her head, seemingly speechless for a second, "nothing"._

_"Don't lie to me. Give me your hand."_

_"I don't have anything…"_

_"Give me your hand"._

_They stared at one another for second before Danny reached over to pull her arm out from behind her back_

_"Don't fight me Jenna," he warned sternly._

**PRESENT**

"It was a tampon, we had a fight and I got upset and he got angry and was all because of a stupid tampon. He doesn't trust me," she sobbed. "He hates me and doesn't trust me".

Ella handed her a fist full of tissues and watched as she wiped away her tears and blew her nose.

"Jenna, Danny doesn't hate you, quite the opposite in fact. He is very worried about you; he doesn't know what's going on inside that head of yours. That day, he thought you were gonna try and hurt yourself again".

Jenna looked horrified, "but I wouldn't…"

"He doesn't know that though, in fact neither did I until just now. You keep your cards very close to your chest and nobody knows what you're thinking. You say Danny doesn't trust you, have you ever given Danny a reason _to_ trust you?"


End file.
